As benefits go, Whine & Kibbles was a real dog. And I mean that in the best possible way.

The pooch-centric event was a fundraiser for the Greenwood Village Police Department’s K-9 Unit, whose last four-legged “officer,” Max, died in 2010. These specially bred and highly trained animals are expensive to acquire, and, like most municipalities, Greenwood Village doesn’t have a lot of spare change hanging around.

So Lt. Dave Fisher set out to raise some. He knew he needed to find a real go-getter to help come up with an engaging format that would draw a big-spending crowd. His choice: Jamie Angelich, who has lived in Greenwood Village[2] since the 1980s, is an experienced organizer and had a dedicated following.

The result: Whine & Kibbles, an early-evening get-together at Mangia Bevi Cafe[3] that had all the usual elements — cocktails, food and a silent auction — plus such unique twists as a police helicopter flyover, having the department’s emergency response command vehicle parked out front and open for tours, and the chance to meet officers from several other departments and their dogs.

When all was said and done, some $50,000 had been raised. Officer J.A. Mulqueen, who’d been Max’s partner, is finalizing the purchase of the two new dogs and will be the special guest at a thank-you party that Julia Peay is having for the committee on April 6.

Author Mark Sanborn emceed the program that was highlighted when Police Chief John Jackson and Fisher presented a police officer’s hat to Angelich. “I’d always wanted to go into law enforcement,” an obviously delighted Angelich said. “This is as close as it gets.”